HDFC is now offering cheaper lending rates on home loans from this date

This latest move by mortgage major Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) is expected to benefit all existing HDFC customers. HDFC is now offering cheaper lending rates on home loans from January 6. The mortgage major has reduced the retail prime lending rate by 5 basis points.

The company in a regulatory filing confirmed, "HDFC reduce its retail prime lending rate on housing loans, on which its 'Adjustable Home Loan Rate' (AHLR) are benchmarked, by 5 basis points with effect from January 6, 2020."

Consequently, the effective rates for home loan for women borrowers up to Rs 30 lakh would be 8.05 per cent, from Rs 30-75 lakh at 8.30 per cent and above Rs 75 lakh, 8.40 per cent. 

For male borrowers, the rates would be 5 bps more.

Recently, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) and its subsidiary HDFC ERGO had received all the regulatory approvals to acquire up to 51.2 per cent stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance. In a regulatory filing on Thursday, HDFC said the last required clearance was provided by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on Wednesday (January 1).

The National Housing Bank, Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had already given their approvals for the deal.

In June 2019, HDFC had announced entering an agreement for acquiring up to 51.2 per cent of equity share capital of Apollo Munich with HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, a subsidiary of HDFC. Post the completion of the proposed acquisition, Apollo Munich would be merged with HDFC ERGO, subject to the approval of the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal.

Further, under the agreement, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd would sell its entire stake of 9.96 per cent in Apollo Munich.

Shares of Apollo Hospitals surged post announcement of the approvals. Its shares on the BSE settled at Rs 1,493.35 on Thursday, higher by Rs 66.45 or 4.66 per cent from its previous close. Shares of HDFC on the BSE settled at Rs 2,466.25, higher by Rs 32.50 or 1.34 per cent from its previous close.